


Following Through

by cudd13fudd13



Category: A Wrinkle in Time (2018), Kairos (O'Keefe) Series - Madeleine L'Engle
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-01 00:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13986183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cudd13fudd13/pseuds/cudd13fudd13
Summary: Going through the slow, emotional, and real minutiae of what happens after they come back.





	1. The First Part of the First Weekend

Meg and Charles Wallace had taken to ordering in given that their parents were animatedly reconciling and catching up on the past four years. From the bits and pieces Meg heard, it was mostly the latter, though later that night she found that they'd move to the couch in a warm embrace, quietly and lovingly whispering.

~~~~~

She was finding it rather difficult to do homework due to the random and unintentioned feelings of happiness that were bubbling up. This was effectively new to her after a four year absence. These thoughts were absolutely foreign to her. Even if she remembered, she couldn’t just recall what last made her happy at the age of nine. She had to have changed.

One measure to her happiness was of course her dad being back. The other was currently behind her, physically on her bed, under her pillow as so she’d stop checking so often. A phone that would soon receive a call.

Meg in her life had been happy before, but this latest source was wildly new. Calvin. Brave, trusting, sweet, understanding Calvin. And just oh so kind.

"He'll call," Meg heard Charles Wallace say from the doorway, startling her.

Before she could reply with “I know,” the phone rang and her brother smiled. Butterflies fluttered within her while Charle Wallace moved to shut the door just as her parents came up the stairs to check on them.

Before it swung shut, Meg could hear Charles Wallace apprising their parents that she was soon to be on a call. With Calvin.

She groaned as she could physically just imagine with absolute clarity the knowing look on her mom’s face about all this. The same one that was plastered on the entire time they and Calvin were having a meal.

Taking a deep breath, she answered, "Hi Calvin."

~~~~~

"I missed so much," Alex said to his wife.

Kate simply embraced him tighter, "They remind me of us."

~~~~~

"Hey," Meg and Calvin simultaneously said shyly, a coincidence which only added to the feeling. He was about to stand when Meg crouched and joined him against the lockers.

Given the closeness, Calvin could smell something light, flowery, and entirely her. He felt his front crumble in an instance for she would soon know everything about him. For he wanted to tell her everything. Meg, brave & fierce, rich & layered, and oh just so understanding and kind.

The halls were still devoid of activity given the early hour they decided to meet at. Their call last night was shorter than either of them would have liked, interrupted not a few minutes in. It evolved to texting, a medium that seemed a bit impersonal for the "let's get to know each other better" conversation ahead. Calvin suggested they arrive at school early.

"How was the talk with your dad?"

Calvin shoved his phone in his pocket as he began, "Fine."

"I mean, I was able to actually say the things I wanted to, but usually hold in. But..."

Meg turned to him and noticed how his fingers were wound tightly and very red. With only a fraction of hesitation and innateness driving, she began to unwind his fingers with hers.

"That's a start,” she said softly. “A big, a major one in fact."

Their laced hands hung in the space between as Calvin pushed his head back against the locker, eyes shut. Flashes of memories (new and ancient) racing through his mind. He was trying to vocalize something into words; lips shut, but twitching to speak.

"Just say what you need to say?" Meg calmly, gently probed; breaking through his recollections and inaction.

"It's just, he's just so overbearing, always was and always will be."

"Hey. You won't get everything resolved at once. It takes time. It's like climbing a mountain."

"Or a wall," opening his eyes for the first time in a few minutes and looking at her.

Meg saw a pair of sad eyes, though with a glimmer of recollection at yesterday's adventure that complemented a grin she was more use to seeing.

"Yes, or a wall," smiling back.

As she did, they heard a door around the corner open and Meg untangled their hands.

She groaned at what she involuntarily just did and began to say “sorr—” but Calvin retook her hand and shook his head. Understanding her deep reservedness, he stood and helped her up.

"Come on, I know a nook," he smiled.

They walked to the PE field and took a turn near the gym to a cluster of utility closets. Slightly shimmying in between, Meg found that they were in a grassy alcove.

“How’d you even find this? she asked as they sat back down.

“I always get here early,” was all he was going to say, but Meg’s words were still fresh. “I like exploring to, uh, escape from, you know.”

She re-took his hand, but this time not leaving as much space between them as they talked till classes started.

~~~~~

“It’s still early isn’t it?” Alex asked his wife who’d just come back from dropping the kids off.

“Meg was insistent. I think she wanted to see Calvin,” putting air quotes on the last word as she sat down. “Literally the first boy she’s had an inkling of interest in. Literally allowed the both of them to stay home till next week.”

“He seems like a good kid,” Alex said, recalling their brief encounters yesterday. “We should invite him for dinner again, this weekend.”

“Sure, if you want to watch Meg cringe in embarrassment in real time,” Kate teased. “Anyways, what are we going to do about you?”

“I thought we agreed to lay low for a bit.”

“After that I mean?” She reached for his hand before continuing, “ When you disappeared, I called it in every favor we had? You can’t just come back. Plus, I think it would help the kids if there was a story.”

“What if we gave them something? Maybe not tessering, yet, but the data associated with it. The gravitational readings associated with the phenomenon alone break every law. We give them that and make up the rest of it. A cover story about a top secret mission maybe?” Alex could not quite say the last words with a straight phrase and the husband and wife found themselves laughing.

~~~~~

“You know, you don’t have to come with me on this... uh...”

“Apology tour?”

“Except tours are fun,” Meg said cheekily.

“This is fun,” Calving said as he gestured between them. And then pocketing his hands with a goofy grin after realizing the cheesy thing he did.

“Oh come on,” Meg said as she dragged him along. The grin on her face noticed by Calvin and reciprocated.

Apologizing to Principal Jenkins was relatively easy, Victoria's was harder.

“Can I talk to you?” she said to the girl.

Victoria quieted a member of her pose that was about to rebut, “You can do it here.”

Meg wanted to scream at the mixed signals of shutting down the incoming insult, but the public embarrassment.

“I'm sorry for hitting you yesterday. I..”

“Accepted. We're good,” Victoria said as she sharply signaled to her group to leave.

Meg stood there as the girls dispersed. Calvin joined her a moment later, “That didn't look too bad.”

“It wasn't, just confusing.”

“Do you fee...” but Calvin then heard his name shouted. He turned to the source to see others waving him over.

“Maybe later,” he replied and turned back to a Meg staring down at her shoes, before speaking.

“You can hang out with them—”

Calvin cut her off as he kneeled down — in a slightly exaggerated fashion — to catch her downward gazed eyes, “I'm really, really with who I want to be.”

Her face broke into a smile having already grinned at his current physical posture.

~~~~~

“Oh screw it, be bold,” Meg thought at the end of the day. They were walking to Charles Wallace's elementary, but before they arrived, she hurriedly asked.

“Do you want to come over, after this?”

“Again? Of course! I mean, if that is, that’s okay, I don’t, wouldn’t want to be rude, or...”

His panic evident, she stopped them walking to grab his hand. “You're always, always welcome. An endless standing invitation whenever and forever. Okay?”

“Okay,” as he returned the grip and began to smile a small smile that seemed to look more sad than anything to Meg.

They were looking into each other's eyes. It lasted a second before they were interrupted, but there was a resonance that would last a lifetime.

“Meg! Calvin!” said Charles Wallace from afar.

The two smiled once more before walking over. This time holding hands through the interruption and later the walk home

~~~~~

“Mom—pausing momentarily before adding—dad, we're home,” Meg yelled through the house.

They walked in from the outdoor lab, with father deeply hugging daughter and son, before noticing the other person in the room.

“Calvin!” her parents both said a bit too enthusiastically for Meg’s teenage sensibilities and awkwardness. Then again, he was handling these social pleasantries more diplomatically than she ever could.

“Anyways, we're just going to do homework,” Calvin said as he noticed Meg’s mumness.

Breaking through Meg’s thoughts, “Yup, we are.”

“Oh, alright, we’ll just clear out of the kitchen,” Dr. Murray signaled to her husband.

After their books were spaced out on the dining room table for a few minutes, Meg spole. “Sorry about that earlier, was a bit like a tribunal.”

“Oh, it wasn’t...”

“For a diplomat?” Meg cut in.

“Honestly, adults are easier to talk to than us, people our age.”

“Hmm, how so?”

“Like, adults are straightforward. Kids have no filter and things can turn weird and childish. Grown ups, most of them anyways, can just flow and go through social graces.”

“Yeah, that’s sound.”

~~~~~

“Done?/finished?” the both of them asked at the same time a bit later. Despite the in-between banter, they finished everything rather quickly.

Cheeks flush, Meg stood up and leaned against the kitchen windows, “Do you have to go soon?”

“Sadly, walk me home, though?”

“Sure, I can take him for a walk,” Meg pointing and calling over the black dog. “Let me tell my parents.”

Before she could find them, her mum came down.

“Leaving already.”

“Yup.”

“Though I'm walking with him home and taking Fortinbras out for a walk.”

“Don't be out too late. Oh, by the way Calvin. We,” pointing to her husband who just came down, “were wondering if you and your family would like to join us for dinner this Saturday?”

Meg noticed an uncharacteristic “Uh” escape his mouth and leapt. “Didn't you say they might be out of town?”

“Yeah, yes. But I'd love to if the invitation still stands.”

“Of course dear. Be back soon Meg.”

Once on the street, he simply said, “Thanks.”

“No problem. Anything you want to get off your chest?” as they walked side-by-side with the dog leading.

“Not really, like I said earlier. Doesn't really care about me unless it's school-related.”

“Hmm.”

They eventually went on to lighter topics, with Calvin finding particular amusement in the Shakespearean origin of Fortinbras’ name, and how tomorrow was Friday.

“Let's do something before dinner on Saturday,” he asked as they neared.

“Yeah, oh! I have an idea.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, oh, it's a surprise. You'll love it.”

He laughed an infectious laugh and they gazed at each other while stopping under a tree. She saw impossibly kind eyes, while he gazed at Meg and saw this truly amazing person.

“We better get going,” breaking Calvin out of the shared moment.

“Yeah, we should,” and quickly took her into a hug. “Bye, he whispered quietly into her ear.

~~~~~

“Hey, you want to check out that pep rally at lunch?” Calvin asked after fourth period.

“Still, still, not the biggest on school spirit.”

“Well, you're big on spirit. Could try expanding it to other things.”

Meg was smiling at how resolutely Calvin could say and know that about her. Had they really only known each for days, and not much longer? “I’ll give it a try!”

~~~~~

They exited the gym after the rally and were walking to the last classes of the day when he spoke up, “Sorry, if you didn't like that. I also found it kind of, well, lame.’

“Yes, it was a bit” she began before Calvin gave her a knowing look. “Okay, maybe more than a bit. I can't enjoy myself in a place where I'm only still half comfortable.”

“That makes sense, but I hope I didn't push you.”

To which Meg shook her head in reply.

“Also, half?”

“I mean you were right next to me the entire time,” Meg smiled over her shoulder as they got to class.

~~~~~

“So, where are we going?” Calvin asked Saturday morning as he arrived in the Murray yard. Meg sprung up from the steps where she was waiting and slung a backpack on.

“You'll...,” Meg started as she suddenly pushed Calvin into the forming tesser behind him, “see!”

The feeling of travel was thrilling, this only being her second proper tesser.

She pushed him with too much force as they found themselves thumbling to the grassy grounds of Uriel.

Both laughing at the thrill, she found herself laying on top of him, her forearms resting against his chest.

Still smiling, Calvin gently moved to adjust her askew glasses.

They gazed at each other for a while before Meg had to unstiffen her neck. Buckling, she unintentionally found her nose on Calvin's lips.

The latter was in the middle of another laugh but then quickly found that he was now lightly embracing her nose. A sense of incredible rightness flowing him, he deepened into it.

She leaned into that for a long moment before rolling over beside him, taking his hand in the process.

“Here, I can enjoy myself,” she said to Calvin, and to herself.

Absently stroking Meg's hand, he let out a contented sigh.


	2. Adventures and meals

“We probably shouldn’t lay here all day,” Calvin said after a restful lull in the conversation. “Though I really wouldn't mind.”

Meg took a deep, contented breath of foreign air — vaguely wondering about its composition — before jumping up. 

Extending a hand to help him up, Calvin opened his eyes to a sight that radiated a warmth through him faster than any sun could. Meg was standing right in front of light that made a halo of her curly hair. The effect was further emphasized by the bright rays poking out of said curls.

She saw a goofy grin—smile spread through his cute face — that adjective inserting itself unexpectedly, but at the end of the day utterly appropriately.

“What?” the words coming out of her taking a matching happiness.

“You’re radiant,” Calvin said instantaneously. 

“What,” Meg said again. This time as less of a query, but more of an automated reaction to something she never heard applied to her. 

“Beautiful,” he replied taking Meg’s hand to get up, breaking through the rapid fire analysis occurring in her head. 

“Uh, yeah, ah, so, what do you want to do the rest of this date–day, yeah date?”

Calvin — noticing the furrowed brows associated with her rapid — cyclical thinking, said “Let’s decide later, okay?”

He then swiftly picked up her backpack from the ground and slung it down the hill they were on. Afterwards, he took her in a one-handed bear hug, while using the other to break the impact as they fell on his back and begun to tumble down the hill.

They yelped and laughed as they came down for what felt like forever. When they finally stopped, both were completely out of breath, smiles serving as the remnants of their laughter. 

Laying on their sides, they found themselves similar to how they were at the start of their trip. 

While each had one arm around the other, Meg spoke, “Maybe this is what we should be doing.”

“No complaints from me,” as their foreheads embraced and both let out happy sighs.

~~~~~

Back home, Dr. Murray went into the lab and noticed whirring equipment.

“Hi dad,” said Charles Wallace who quietly followed him from the house.

“Hey kiddo, let me just check..”

“It’s Meg and Calvin.”

“What?” thoroughly confused, peering at his son.

“That’s who those readings belong to.” 

Kate then came in after Charles Wallace, “Have you seen Meg honey?”

Charles Wallace gave his dad a look and Alex answered, “Ah, I think she just left with Calvin.” 

“Oh okay, we’re just going grocery shopping for tonight,” ruffling the small child’s hair.

~~~~~

Elsewhere, Meg and Calvin were taking a break from exploring and having a packed snack on the top of a small mountain peak. 

Calvin was taking pictures when he pondered, “Is there any place as stunning as this?”

“This place is up there, but when I was younger I remember a camping trip to Sequoia. Dad showed me a picture before we left, but I didn’t realize the scale until I was there standing right next to one. He even put me on his shoulders as mom tried to get as far back as she could to take a picture like the one we saw. Then he told me about just how old they are and that just humbled me. How ancient, how majestic. Sorry,” she laughed. “I was rambling.”

“Not at all, you made me feel like I was there. Sounds like a very special memory.”

“It is, I held on to that one for a while, hmm,” Meg ended as she looked contemplatively away into the distance.

Calvin scooched closer to her and they bumped shoulders, “What’s on your mind Meg?”

“Just kind of crazy that I can do that again. Make new moments.”

“I can’t think of a better thing to get adjusted to,” he smiled brightly, happy for her.

“Thanks Calvin, so, how about you? What else is on your rankings?”

He shrugged, “Born and raised, and stayed in Los Angeles. Uh, I, we’ve never really gone anywhere.” 

“Well, you probably appreciate things more when you’re older anyways,” taking his implication. It wasn’t a stretch from what Calvin told her about his workaholic parents that family vacations were probably a low priority.

“Tell me more about these towering giants,” Calvin laughed as he began to pack up the tupperware and thermos.

“Well, it was snowing and it was the first time I could actually see and play with it. But it was more than that, it coated just everything and made the world look so new, so fresh. Like a blank canvas that was just endless and stretched as far as you could see.”

“Uhh, you’re making it sound ever better than how I’m already imagined it. Truthfully that's my favorite part of Christmas tales and movies. Only a few weeks till that season, maybe it will.”

“Too bad we don’t have seasons in SoCal. I mean has it ever even snowed in LA?”

“Crazily, yes! 1989. There were like three other times before that in the past 100 hundred years. Ahah, I remember looking it up last year.” 

“Oh, can you imagine? Our neighborhood covered in snow,” Meg thought aloud with amusement as they got back to wandering.

~~~~~

A while later the sun began to set and it was almost time to get back for the family dinner. An event which Meg thought she’d overanalyzed enough that it couldn’t be that awkward. It was just Calvin and Charles Wallace, dad, and mom.

“Hey, look at that,” Calvin said as he walked over to a tallish formation of rocks. Talking his phone, he suggested they take a non-selfie picture of them against the backdrop of the setting sun. “Hope we can get the timer just right.”

They started with wacky photos before finally deciding to get serious as the light was just about to disappear.

While they walked to retrieve the phone, Calvin began, “I had a really fun —”

“Date,” Meg broke in. 

Calvin raised his eyebrows at Meg’s strong proclamation as she took his hand and smiled confidently.

“Me too,” she replied still holding his hand. “All of this,” gesturing at her surrounding, “is boring without somebody pretty great to share it with.”

“Really, thanks for today,” he said wrappings her in a hug as she began the tesser back.

~~~~~

“I’m not sure if it’s just me, but Earth just has a different feel to it, don’t you think?” Meg pondered as they quietly arrived in the backyard. 

“Yeah, I felt it when we first got to Uriel this morning. Probably the fresh air and quiet versus our lovely smog and city life,” as he jetted his hands into the air and twirled, resulting in a laugh from Meg.

“Sweetie, they’re back, from the mall,” Alex said to Kate, but also while the pair he was covering for was in ear shot.

“Hi mom and dad.”

“Hello, Doctors Murray?” which evoked a laugh and had the other effect of putting Meg at ease. The second they were back her preparedness for this faded, but the laughter, his laughter evoked a sense of warming alrightness.

~~~~~

Later than evening after Meg and Kate returned from dropping off Calvin, the latter joined her husband who was doing the dishes.

“Things went pretty smoothly,” Alex said as he handed off a dish that needed to be dried.

“Surprisingly. Meg’s very quickly coming out of her shell. She’s getting back to her old self.”

Dinner was animated with casual banter versus the awkward, one-sided conversation that marked the first dinner where Calvin was present. Rather than Meg staying mum during the course of the meal, she and Calvin talked quite a bit, making covert references to their day at the “mall” and other things about life.

Kate recalled dropping off Calvin. When they stopped in front of the O’Keefe residence, Meg asked for a minute as she got out of the car with Calvin.

“Your family is really quite great,” Calvin said to Meg when they were out of earshot.

“I do love them,” they stopped walking and were once more under a tree. “It’s still Saturday, I feel like we adventured for days today.”

“Yeah, the multiple surroundings does help. I guess I’ll see you on Monday.” 

“I’ll be there early again and text me whenever tomorrow, okay?”

“Definitely,” he was going to begin his goodbye, but Meg beat him to it as she hugged Calvin in a full embrace. Her arms wrapping tightly around his back, hands laying flat on his back, head resting on his shoulder, and just breathing him in.

Exhaling, he quickly reciprocated with his arms and Meg felt his head rest just above her ear. They stood there for a few seconds, with Dr. Murray catching a glimpse of this embrace, but quickly averting her gaze to not make this awkward for her daughter. Calvin’s breathing tickled Meg’s ear and they finally broke apart.

“Cya,” he said, holding onto her hand until they physically could no longer

“Bye,” she said, with Calvin’s last memory of their day together being her luminsicent smile even in the dark of night.

~~~~~

Just before sleep encompassed her, Meg took out her phone to look through the day’s pictures. In actuality, she was looking for one in particular. 

It was from the beginning of the day just as they arrived on Uriel. She and Calvin were laying on the grass hands joined, talking about this and that. His hand absently stroking hers was impossibly calming. To not disturb the moment, she subtly took the phone out of her pocket.

Calvin noticed by the time she maneuvered the camera above them and positioned himself closer to minimize the grap. Heads side-by-side, she began snapping. The first were simple and cute, then progressively funny, but during the last one between gales of laughter, Calvin kissed her cheek. She immediately leaned into it, camera arm remaining upright through it.

Meg wasn’t sure she captured that shot, but through luck did snap the precise moment. Shining an impossibly bright smile for the middle of the night she sent that and a few others to Calvin. Before the happy thoughts coaxed her into a haze, she set the photo as her wallpaper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all those who left those lovely comments about the characterization.
> 
> If any of you have some general suggestions for cute moments and developmental milestones in a blossoming relationship, I'd definitely be interested and curious to provide a story realistic spin to them.

**Author's Note:**

> I love, love this movie and these two together. Aiming for realism with the slow emotions and deep feels, but also the wonderous of knowing *they* have a whole universe to explore and grow in. 
> 
> Do hope I'm capturing them realistically. Comments welcome and possibly helpful, not sure, first timer.


End file.
